Erasing “Man” From the Lexicon

After Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used the longstanding U.S. military phrase “we leave no man behind” while praising a recent high-risk rescue of a downed American airman behind enemy lines in Iran, on his MSNBC show, Lawrence O’Donnell said Hegseth was sexist.

“That is, of course, the old school version of the idea. Back when only men flew American military planes,” said O’Donnell before adding “that that could have been a woman they were trying to rescue—and it might be a woman the next time.”

Yes, and it would still be accurate to say “we leave no man behind.”

What O’Donnell is really doing is virtue signaling to his far-left base that he is inclusive, but that Neanderthal Hegseth is not.

Versions of men like O’Donnell are playing a word police game. They want control of what we say. They believe—to some extent correctly—that if they can control what is said, then they control what is thought. By controlling what is thought, they can control the populace.

It is of no use telling them that “leave no man behind” has been standard military rhetoric for decades (think Black Hawk Down, POW/MIA efforts, and the special operations ethos) and uses “man” in the generic sense meaning “person/human,” similar to phrases like “all men are created equal” or “one small step for a man.”

Context is beside the point to a person like O’Donnell. He is conformist camp of control via speech.

Actual men should be respectful, honorable, and honest—this means speaking opening and without an agenda of control or disparaging others.